1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a ground vehicle with track modules for carrying a payload. More particularly, the vehicle can be deployed on uneven terrain, can assume a low profile for passing under an obstacle and can assume a raised profile for traversing obstacles.
2. Background Art
Manned and unmanned vehicles may be suitable for deployment in peaceful and hostile environments. Conventionally, wheeled vehicles can be adapted for travel over inclined and flat roads and pathways. Practically, however, it may be necessary for a vehicle to pass over or through an environment that may include obstacles, barricades and steps, especially if the environment is a hostile terrain or war zone. Many conventional vehicles are unsuitable in such environments because the vehicles may be unable to reliably cross fractured or debris-strewn terrain.
Some solutions have included equipping vehicles with large diameter wheels or crawler tracks that may enable the vehicle to circumnavigate or traverse large objects or surface discontinuities. But such approaches typically involve adding to the overall dimensions of the vehicle, which in turn may entail reducing its ability to travel through restricted gaps and add to vehicle weight.
If the vehicle is required to traverse a steep slope, there is an increasing chance that it may roll over. If so, a propulsion unit, such as a wheel or track may become disassociated from the terrain and thus may be unable to propel the vehicle any further.
Various entities have developed vehicles which respond to the requirement for such vehicles. They include Lockheed Martin's “FCS MULE”; the “Tags-CX” vehicle (a joint project of Applied Perception, Inc., Cranberry Township, PA, the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Research, Development & Engineering Center, and Dumur Industries in Canada); the “MMP-8 Mobile Robot Platform”; and the “Crusher”, National Robotics Engineering Center, Carnegie Melon University Robotics Institute.
Applicant has designed and tested a band track over wheels design on an FMTV under SBIR Contract No. W56 HZV-04-C-0129.
Among the U.S. patent references considered in preparing this patent application are: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,445,582; 5,174,405; 4,977,971; 5,248,008; and 6,774,597. The disclosures of these patent references are incorporated herein by reference.